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Bar Mitzvah

According to Jewish law, when Jewish children reach the age of maturity (12 years for girls, 13 years for boys) they become responsible for their actions. At this point a boy is said to become Bar Mitzvah (בר מצוה, "man of the commandment"); a girl is said to become Bat Mitzvah (בת מצוה, "daughter of the commandment").

Before this age, all the child's responsibility to follow Jewish law and tradition lies with the parents. After this age, the children are privileged to participate in all areas of Jewish community life and bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics.

The ultimate bar bat mitzvah is not the most expensive or glitzy. It's the one that best achieves a fusion of heart, soul and style. It's... an event where the family and guests have a profoundly moving experience... and follow it up with a warm, beautiful, fun mitzvah party.

Our Goofy History

Before now, there were basically two kinds of bar bat mitzvahs:

• Parents don't connect deeply with the spiritual side, but lavish time and attention on bar bat mitzvah party themes that are either wacky and irrelevant, or that reduce their wonderfully complex child to one dull cliché: he loves basketball; she's into horses!

• Parents make the bar bat mitzvah meaningful... but not nearly glamorous and fun enough!

Since the 1950s-60s when today's bar bat mitzvah moms and dads were kids, practically everything has changed. Except bar bat mitzvahs; there, we're still following the same old script. Weddings have completely changed in the past 50 years – why haven't bar bat mitzvahs? Have we all just been waiting for a Jewish Martha Stewart to come along and design a new kind of bar bat mitzvah party?

About the Author
Gail Greenberg is the creator of MitzvahChic. MitzvahChic is the #1 bar/bat mitzvah planning book and website! Visit http://www.MitzvahChic.com and be sure to sign up for FREE planning reminder emails.